Iron Man #1: Ignition (Spoiler-Free!)

This is a really interesting direction for Iron Man. He’s shed a lot of his status quo and this isn’t simply another reboot or the MCU’s Iron Man comic book, it’s really not like any version before it, maybe that’s why I like it so much. Author Christopher Cantwell delivers exactly what he promised. A whole new take on the Iron Avenger. Tony has such a rich history, supporting cast (both human and mechanical), and headquarters/iconic Marvel locations that even if you stuck with one set, it would almost be distracting. So, with that in mind, Cantwell cleared the table and set a new place at the table and he’s not even using the same dishware. Even though everything is different, it’s still very “Iron Man” and still very recognizable. He gives us a team-up in this first issue, and it’s great because the person he teams up with doesn’t have any powers or a super suit. But don’t worry, the tech is still there in the book. I don’t want to reveal how or why or anything like that, but technology does have a presence, even though it’s used as a character rather than a means to an end. Again, a very different take by Cantwell. One that I think we’re all going to enjoy very much.

Artist CAFU is one heck of a talent. I’m embarrassed to say, I wasn’t that familiar with his work going into this, but he quickly hooked me and I’m already counting down the days until the next issue. He’s got a crazy photo-realistic painting/straight-up old-fashioned comic book style is insane and this is one of those cases where I never want to see the artist actually draw a page because then the illusion would be gone for me. CAFU gives us page after page of hyper-detailed backgrounds, in an age where more and more backgrounds are just blank spaces. My only complaint is that I’ve seen art like this before and timeliness is always an issue. I hope that he can keep to even a semi-regular schedule. Beyond that concern of mine, the book itself is really great!!!